Giants' Antrel Rolle: Don't Criticize Me For Dez Touchdown!
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- The Giants won a huge game in Dallas on Sunday. They're back atop the NFC East with the inside track to the playoffs.
So why is Antrel Rolle so angry?
The outspoken safety sounded off on the Giants' secondary and defense as a whole during his weekly spot on WFAN. Then, in response to a question about Dez Bryant's wide open 50-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, Rolle leveled a tirade aimed directly at NFL commentators.
"It drives me crazy," said Rolle. "When I speak about this, I'm not speaking about just on behalf of Antrel Rolle -- I'm speaking on behalf of people across the league. I don't care what position it is. Commentators always want to point the finger as if they know what they're doing and they know what they're talking about. But in reality, they don't half of the time."
Listen: Rolle with Joe & Evan
Rolle was criticized heavily for his role in the play, which put the Cowboys up 34-22 with 5:41 remaining. Rolle said he was "in the right spot" and "exactly" where he was supposed to be, but wouldn't go so far as to place the blame entirely on cornerback Corey Webster.
"No, Antrel Rolle didn't get burned," he said. "Know what the hell you're talking about at the end of the day."
The fact is, the Giants' porous defense still let up 34 points to Tony Romo & Co. That after allowing 38 points to the Packers last week and 49 points to the Saints in Week 12.
"If one person is wrong, that's gonna make eleven people wrong," said an emphatic Rolle. "That's what we've been having and that's what we cannot continue to have."
"We need to clean that up and we need to clean that up now," he added. "This is a message to myself. This is a message to the coaches. This is a message to anyone who has anything to do with our defense. Everyone needs to get on the same page and clean it up -- and clean it up right now. You know what? There's no room for error at this point."
But there were many positives to New York's dramatic 37-34 win over the Cowboys. The continued emergence of Jason Pierre-Paul, for starters.
And then there's Eli Manning. The Giants wouldn't be in position to make the playoffs this season without the quarterback's uncanny fourth-quarter magic.
"Be might not be the rah-rah-rah kind of guy. He might not be like me, he might not be as vocal as I am," said Rolle. "But you know what? That dude is a leader in and out."
Do you agree with Rolle's take on NFL commentators? Sound off in the comments below...
